Baking Fun and Bunny Cakes

The Next Step

My caseworker told the potential birth mom and her counselor that we were interested last Friday. Apparently they were tickled pink that Boss and I were interested, and they would like to move forward with the next step. My caseworker has proposed that he meet with the birth mom and the counselor next week, so that he might explain to them how the process would work, show her our family picture and tell her a little bit about us, and to get to know as much of the birth mom's story that she is willing to share. He also wants to get a feel for how serious she seems about all of this. I want to know if adoption is completely her decision, or if the counselor is only encouraging her to make that choice.

If they like what they hear about us, and my counselor has a good feeling about the birth mom, then we will move forward, perhaps with a phone call or an actual meeting in the next couple of weeks. Again.....wow! I am trying very hard to keep clear head about all of this. This is the very beginning of our adoption story and I know that the journey could take many twists and turns, the plot could thicken at any time, and that it could very well be filled with lots of tears and drama. The part that keeps me sane is praying for the happy ending.

So, we will wait and see. In the mean time, I have paperwork to complete, and I still have the problem of a mushy brain. Boss has taken the girls to his parents for a few days, so perhaps I will get something accomplished between counseling appointments, family visits, and hanging out with the big girls. Thank you for taking the time to check in.

Happy Easter

Maybe a Match

I feel as though I have been a bit absent lately, and my only excuse is that my brain has felt like mush for the past week. We got a new resident who has thrown my world for a loop (she is leaving for higher level care on Thursday), we have had a stomach virus making its way through our house, and Kate and the new girl have BOTH not been sleeping through the night. Mush, I tell you. Every time I sit down to write, I can't put two words together. However, I wanted to let you know of a phone call that we received yesterday.

Our original adoption plan has been to complete our home study with our caseworker, and then send our completed home study to an agency to begin the wait for a match. Once matched, we would then use our attorney to finalize everything in the end. However, my caseworker told me yesterday, that he had received an email from a lady who is a volunteer counselor at a crisis pregnancy center. This lady has been counseling with a young woman who is wanting to give her baby up for adoption, and she was wondering if our caseworker knew of any families who were wanting to adopt. Since my caseworker typically does not place babies, we are the only couple on the list.

Here is what we know. We believe that the birth father is Caucasian, and the birth mother is bi racial. The birth mother already has two children and no husband. She was adopted herself, and her adoptive parents are members of a church that is not far from our home. The birth mother came into contact with her own birth mother a few years back, and she believes that has caused many problems in her life, so she is very much for adoption, and very much for not interfering with the adoptive parents trying to raise the baby. She wanted to find a couple who were members of the church like her adoptive parents, so I believe we are the first couple she is looking at.The baby is due sometime in August. August! She should find out the gender this month. My heart pounds at the mere thought that this woman could be carrying our third child!

I know there is much that can happen. Perhaps the birth mother will choose someone else. Perhaps she will change her mind about adoption completely. Perhaps there will be a drug or alcohol history that we are not comfortable with. There are many days before August, and I am fully aware that many things could happen.

So, what do we do now? My caseworker sent an email today letting the crisis counselor know that we were interested in moving forward. The next step will either be a phone cal,l or perhaps just sending her a bit more information about ourselves. Then we will take it from there. Will you pray for us? I am trying to keep the attitude that God already knows which baby is ours, and whenever that baby comes along, things will simply work out. Maybe it will be this sweet baby, or maybe it will be another. All I can say is that this is starting to feel real!

Step One

We just received our first packet of papers to fill out as the first step in the home study process. I can't believe that this is actually happening! I am so excited! I will keep you updated as we continue to travel along this journey.